In many imaging applications, it is often desirable to have an inexpensive semiconductor laser device that provides constant wavelength and power output, as well as low noise. In one type of laser raster printing system, a photosensitive media is placed on a drum and is written to by a semiconductor laser. A light beam from the laser is typically deflected from a polygon or galvanometer, and focused through an imaging lens. The image is written pixel by pixel using a raster scan technique onto a photosensitive media.
Controlling the amount of laser energy delivered is important in achieving quality images. Unwanted variations in laser energy delivered to a photosensitive media can introduce objectionable artifacts, such as dark and light streaks or spots in the image printed on the media. In many image writing applications, laser optical power must be controlled to better than 0.5% accuracy in order to obtain a reasonable image quality.
Optical power is affected by many parameters, such as semiconductor laser driving current and operating temperature. In order to ensure that a laser operates at a stable condition, an operating temperature is chosen in which the laser operates at a wavelength which is relatively constant. For example, assume a particular laser has a relatively stable operating wavelength of 685 nm only over a narrow temperature range of 3° C. Outside this range, there would be variations in intensity of the laser output power as the laser hops from one mode to another. A thermoelectric cooler must be used to keep the laser in its stable range of operation.
Another problem which may cause variations in laser power output is caused by optical feedback, which is unwanted light reflected back into a laser by optical elements external to the laser. Optical feedback can disturb laser operation and cause intensity fluctuations which may amount to as much as 10% or 20%. As more components are added, such as in a collimator lens and beam forming optics, the stable temperature range in which the laser can operate may be decreased significantly from the 3° C. noted above, to only a few tenths of a degree.
Other factors may affect the stability of laser operating systems. For example, characteristics of some components change with age, and small contaminants may accumulate on the surfaces of the optical elements. This change can cause variations in reflectivity which results in optical feedback to the laser.
Past attempts to stabilize laser performance have met with mixed results. For example, thermoelectric coolers have been used to prevent drift with ambient temperature. However, over the operating life of the equipment, lasers still may change modes because laser characteristic changes or external optical elements shift, causing optical feedback. Furthermore, thermoelectric coolers add additional cost and complexity.
Another method of stabilizing laser is using back facet photosensors which detect a portion of the light leaving a back facet of the laser to control laser output. This has not been entirely successful because the layers of dielectric mirror coating on the back facet of the laser are wavelength specific. Therefore, small changes in the wavelength of the light leaving the back facet can result in large changes in power to the back facet sensor, while the actual laser output is essentially unchanged. The power control loop on the laser ends up making a light level correction where none should be made.
Another attempt at stabilization of lasers has used radio frequencies (RF) to stabilize low power level lasers, for example, laser printing in the range of 1 to 2 mW. These low power RF stabilization schemes, however, are not suitable for high power laser stabilization because of intensity control problems. This type of RF stabilization in a high power laser has a possibility of back-biasing the laser diode and destroying it. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,197,059; 5,386,409; and 5,495,464. Other undesirable features in RF control are decreased lifetime and overdriving of the laser. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,495,464 and 5,175,722.
A further attempt at stabilization of low power lasers has used radio frequencies with low duty cycle waveforms. U.S. Pat. No. 5,386,409 discloses the use of low duty cycle radio frequency waveform to stabilize a semiconductor laser for reading and writing to an optical disk.
In addition, attempts have been made to stabilize high power semiconductor lasers at approximately 20 to 100 mW using RF injection. U.S. Pat. No. 6,049,073 discloses a system and method for high power semiconductor laser stabilization using RF injection, where the RF waveform is a sine wave. This method of stabilization, however, only allows half the laser's rated output power to be available as stabilized power because 50% duty cycle sine wave is used as the RF drive. Driving the laser at higher current levels to increase power results in overdriving the laser and decreasing lifetime. Increasing the RF drive to the laser can result in back biasing the laser and destroying it.
It is, therefore, desirable to stabilize a high power semiconductor laser at or near its rated maximum power against changes in temperature, current variations, effects of aging, and optical feedback.